Once a student at Mercer County Technical Schools (MCTS), Nick Sakowski now walks the halls as an employee. He embraces his role as Community Liaison, which combines his background in graphic and visual arts with his desire to support his alma mater.
The Hamilton native also holds this title for Mercer County Special Services School, is an adjunct professor at Mercer County Community College, and produces webinars and symposiums for Princeton University.
The time he spends at MCTS is especially meaningful to Sakowski. He credits the school for developing his interest in graphic arts and giving him valuable career skills he still uses today.
“The training I received from MCTS gave me all the hard skills I needed to prepare me for college and my career,” said Sakowski. “I was ahead of the game when I went to college because I knew Photoshop, InDesign, and all the Adobe programs. I still use these programs and the skills I learned at MCTS in my career every day.”
Sakowski graduated from the MCTS Graphic Arts program in 2008, then studied at Mercer County Community College and New York City’s School of Visual Arts before graduating from the Art Institute of Philadelphia in 2014.
In his current role as Community Liaison, Sakowski helps spread the word about MCTS’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) through social media, photographs, videos, flyers, and ongoing support provided to the admissions department. He also produces the school’s four podcasts. and previously rebuilt the MCTS website and helped teachers and staff through technological struggles during the pandemic.
“Nick is a smart, hardworking guy and a jack of all trades,” said Mick Orfe, Director of Pupil Services at MCTS. “Nick doesn’t just give back to the school; he makes the school climate better. He is an example of what a student can do with a CTE background.”
